Although it lagged behind the leading giants of the gaming industry such as China and America, the number of players and the amount of revenue from games in Europe exploded this year. According to data presented by MejoresApuestas, the number of players in Europe is expected to exceed 351 million by 2023, which is about half of its total population.
COVID-19 is the biggest factor increasing the number of players in Europe
More than 51 million Europeans have started playing games since COVID-19 took the world by storm. Video games, one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors worldwide, are observed to have created a large player base in Europe.
Some of the world’s top esports players today come from Denmark and Finland, while the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain all rank in the top ten gaming markets globally.
Before the pandemic, the number of players in Europe increased steadily, rising from 259.5 million in 2017 to 278.5 million in 2019, according to data from the Statista survey. However, COVID-19 has fueled the growth of the European gaming market as millions of Europeans turn to video games during the lockdown period.
Statistics show that more than 51 million Europeans have started playing since the start of the pandemic, with the total number rising to 329.5 million in 2021. The number is expected to continue to rise in the coming years and exceed 367.4 million by 2025. Statista data shows that most Europeans, in other words, a population of 201 million, play mobile games. This number is expected to rise to 218 million in the next two years.
Game revenues in Europe will increase by 5 billion dollars next year
Along with the impressive growth in the player base, the European gaming market is also expected to witness significant revenue growth in the coming years. In 2021, revenues are expected to grow from $21 billion to $23.5 billion. It is also expected that this number will reach 28.5 billion dollars by 2023 and continue to rise to 32.6 billion dollars by 2025.
The UK, Europe’s largest gaming market, is expected to generate $6.1 billion or 25% of total revenue this year. Germany, which is far behind the UK, was the second-largest market with $2.6 billion in revenue. France, Italy, and Spain are in the top five with $2.6 billion, $1.9 billion, and $1.2 billion, respectively.
Finally, statistics show that the combined revenues of the five largest gaming markets in Europe are expected to increase by $3.1 billion and reach $17.7 billion by 2023.
